About of the Open Air Pool
This art deco Pool is the only functioning 55 yards filtered heated sea water open air facility known to survive in the United Kingdom. It was first opened by local public subscription in June 1934, when the townsfolk showed remarkable foresight in building it to full Olympic standards. Massively patronised from the 30's to the 70's with attendance figures reaching 65,000 annually, its popularity dwindled in the 80's as people tended to seek holidays abroad. With attendances dropping to under 15,000 and its fabric showing its age, its was earmarked for closure by the Council in 1994. This threat, however, saw the formation of the "Friends of the Pool", a local conservation body dedicated to saving it.
 

Following several years of often tough negotiation, closure was avoided via the adoption of a mutually agreed strategy whereby the Council provides an annual capital budget, plant operation and qualified life guard staffing, whilst the Friends contribute through fundraising activities and marketing skills, and provide a group of enthusiastic volunteers who maintain, upgrade, refurbish and decorate the pool and its surrounds each Spring in advance of its summer season.

The complete renovation of the pool in vivid cheerful art-deco colours and the implementation of various other improvements including a replacement water chute, sun awnings, five column floodlights, thermal pool covers and marketing initiatives such as sponsorships and the creation of this website, saw annual attendances stage a dramatic recovery, now heading towards 40,000. The success of the relationship was recognised in May 2000 when the Friends and the Council entered into a welcome Formal Partnership to assure the pool's long-term future. The pool provides great pleasure for locals and visitors of all ages, from infants to pensioners.

The pool has a large adjacent free car park, including disabled parking and access.  A disabled persons' pool hoist and improved disabled access ramps were a feature of the 2004 season!  This unique facility also offers the sole opportunity in NE Scotland, for outdoor swimmers to test their skills in full 55 yards lengths. Indeed, a more recent use has been for all-action evening Triathlon sports meets, out with normal public swimming times.

Stonehaven and the Pool

The coastal resort of Stonehaven is often referred to as the "Gateway to Royal Deeside". It is, however, not just a gateway but is of significant historical interest in itself, being the birthplace of Robert W Thomson, the true inventor of the pneumatic tyre in 1845, an accomplishment which is marked by the RW Thomson (Vintage Vehicle) Rally held here in his honour in June of each year. (Incidentally, Thomson's fertile inventiveness also gave the world the fountain pen, the spring mattress, the dry dock and the rotary engine!). It is also the birth place of Lord Reith, first Chairman of the BBC and a strict disciplinarian (is he turning over in his grave at recent events there?!). And its latest claim to fame was the confirmation in 2004 that a millipede discovered in rock at bonny Cowie Village next to the Pool, is the oldest air-breathing fossil ever found anywhere in the world. Now that's impressive!

In more recent times Stonehaven has become well known as the town with "The Best Butcher in Scotland" (Charles McHardy), and the award winning "Best Chip Shop in Britain" (Bervie Chipper). As we have mentioned, the town possesses a bonny harbour with pubs, restaurants and museum, all linked to the open air pool via a lit esplanade board walk from which bottle-nosed dolphins can often be spotted offshore. It has lovely woodland and coastal walks, and compact sporting and leisure facilities including a spectacular 18-hole clifftop golf course, bowling (indoor and out), tennis, putting, giant open air draughts, quoiting, angling (river and sea), sailing and bird watching. More importantly, it is proud to boast the only Olympic sized, art deco, heated, open air, salt water swimming pool in the UK.

There may be other open air swimming pools such as Gourock's rather smaller gem over at the Firth of Clyde and a smattering of others around the UK, but we have yet to find one with the timeless art-deco atmosphere and magic of Steenhive's own classic!